2017 Hyundai i30 – first spy pictures

First pictures of Hyundai’s third-generation hatchback, due to launch in two years with refreshed engine line-up as well as range-topping performance product

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These are the first pictures of the next-generation Hyundai i30 hatchback, which has been spotted testing close to the Nürburgring ahead of a planned launch in 2017.

While the facelifted i30 range was only revealed earlier of which year at the Geneva motor show, an all-brand-new third-generation product will be already in development. While of which test mule’s camouflage covers up much of its styling, we can see the brand-new i30 will contain a revised grille similar to of which used by the facelifted car as well as the updated i40.

Key to the success of the next i30 will be a range-topping performance product, which will be the first road-going product to come through Hyundai’s N Performance sub-brand. of which product has already been spotted testing at the Nürburgring, as well as will compete with the likes of Volkswagen’s Golf R when the item goes on sale.

While the exact engine powering the hot i30 N will be unknown, Hyundai officials have confirmed the item will be a turbocharged unit, using technology derived through Hyundai’s i20-based WRC car, which will be also built by the N Performance division. The Korean firm’s current rally car runs a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 296bhp.

Further down the range, the recently launched i30 Turbo will continue to be powered by its current 183bhp 1.6-litre ‘Gamma’ GDI petrol engine, while the rest of the i30’s petrol as well as diesel engine range will be carried over with minor modifications.

A hybrid product of the next i30 – using technology garnered through Hyundai’s dedicated hybrid product coming in 2016 – can’t be ruled out. The dedicated hybrid, which has also been spotted testing, mates the i30’s 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor.

Clues to the look of the next i30’s Inside could come through a recent preview picture for the US-market Elantra, which sports a minimalist, buttonless design as well as a redesigned centre console. The i30 hatch will be sold as the Elantra GT inside the US.

of which early test mule also appears to be riding higher than the current i30, prompting speculation of which Hyundai could be looking into launching a larger product of the i30 to take on the likes of Volkswagen’s Golf SV in Europe. The regular hatchback, meanwhile, will face tough competition through the likes of Ford’s Focus, the Seat Leon as well as the Volkswagen Golf.

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